A life cut short.

Born in Prestwich, Lancashire, England in 1895, William Archibald “Archie” Longmire had quite a history. The year after the Scout Association was formed in Great Britain, Archie received the marksmanship award. 

Pitlochry Boy Scouts in camp, Dunfallandy F.H.

Before WWI, he attended the University of Glasgow. Archie is on the front right of the photograph.

In 2019, we were able to walk through the campus of the university, which was not unlike walking into a set of a Harry Potter movie. 

 Archie served in WWI, although all we know about his service is that he was a Private in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and that he went to France. 

His daughter Pamela was always so proud of this medal of his: 

 After the war, he found employment with the United Fruit Company and travelled to Jamaica, where he met the beautiful Marjorie Louise McDermott. 

They married in Jamaica in 1928, and then in 1930, their first daughter, Pamela Louise Longmire was born. Then tragedy struck. Archie had an ulcer, which ruptured. He died on February 20, 1932. It seems that before he died, he asked Marjorie to go and live in Scotland with his family. The passenger list shows a sad entry: 

Apparently, it did not go well, as Marjorie returned with Pamela to Jamaica later that year. To compound her sadness, she was pregnant and had come into contact with someone who had measles. The baby, Heather Violet, was born onboard ship, died quickly and was buried at sea. Pamela remembers her mother telling her that the baby was perfectly formed but covered with measles. A sad tale indeed.

P.S. It was an email from the website findmypast.com informing me of a new record set of passenger lists that turned up the passenger list and the impetus for writing this post. 

Lost - please find!

One of my favorite hobbies is to go into antique stores and look for old family photographs that I might be able to reconnect with family members. Over the years, I've had some wonderful experiences doing this. In the last year, I've been twice to visit our son while he's been stationed at MCAS New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It's adjacent to Camp LeJeune. The next block over from his lodgings is one of the biggest antique stores I've ever been to, filled with "booths" full of new stuff, old stuff, junk and treasures. My favorite spot was the end table with the clear glass top and sides filled with old letters, post cards and a few photographs. After buying a few affordable ones, I brought them home and tried some of my favorite sites to find descendants who might be interested in the items. Well, I haven't so far, so I thought I'd share them here and tag them in hopes that someone searching for them might find them. They are a variety of correspondence, from postcards, graduation invitations, V-mail and love letters. The names and places are: Aileen Armstong, Oakland IA, L.J. McDermott, Winterport ME, C.E. Sanborn, Boston, Jones Baker, Taneytown MD, John M. Fuss, Emmitsburg MD, H.E. Schmidt, Pearl Harbor, Raymond M Baker, NYC, Jane Sawyer, Louisville KY, Garnett Divine, Mary Lou Wathen, Hillsdale MI, Charles Pearson, Alice Campbell, Finleyville PA, Russell Campbell, Craig Melville, Meadville PA, Glenn W. Melville, San Francisco, Joseph C. Page, Warsaw NC,  If you are related and interested an item, please contact me at mskeillor@gmail.com So here they are: